SEATTLE - People can capture the magic of flowering plants and “flying flowers” at Woodland Park Zoo’s seasonal Butterflies & Blooms exhibit presented by Bank of America. Back for its eighth year, the popular exhibition opens May 13 through September 30 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily. Cost: $1 in addition to zoo admission; free for kids 2 and under.

Butterflies & Blooms promises visitors an experience that reveals the value, beauty and interdependence of butterflies and flowering plants. The exhibit also inspires a deeper appreciation of ecological relationships among butterflies, plants and people.

The exhibit presents a story in three chapters. The first chapter, Life Cycle Landscape, encourages visitors to imagine they are butterflies in each of four distinct life stages: the egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa (chrysalis for butterflies, cocoon for moths) and adult. Butterflies in Flight immerses visitors in a variety of habitats with free-flying butterflies. Nearly 1,000 butterflies representing at least 15 North American species are present at all times. The final chapter, the Conservation Garden, demonstrates how butterfly enthusiasts can attract and sustain wild butterflies in their own backyards. At times, zoo horticulturists and other gardening experts are on hand to answer questions.

The zoo opens at 9:30 a.m. daily, 365 days of the year. Closing times vary. Zoo admission: Adult (13-64) $10; Child (3-12) $7; Toddler (0-2) Free. Seniors and disabled receive a discount and zoo members receive free zoo admission year-round. Parking: Limited parking is available for $3.50. Please call Metro at 206.553.3000 for bus service to the zoo.

Accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, award-winning Woodland Park Zoo is famed for pioneering naturalistic exhibits and setting a standard for zoos all over the world. With conservation, education and excellent animal care at the core of the zoo’s mission, the zoo is helping to save endangered species in Washington state and around the world including tree kangaroos, snow leopards, red-crowned cranes, African wild dogs, western pond turtles and Oregon silverspot butterflies. By inspiring visitors and others to care and act, Woodland Park Zoo is making a difference in our planet’s future.